The previously undetected fullerene D5h(1)-C90--with a distinct nanotubular shape--has been isolated and structurally identified by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The discovery of nanotubular D5h(1)-C90, which is a fullerene with 90 carbon atoms and D5h symmetry, opens a bridge between molecular fullerenes and carbon nanotubes. Read more...

Assessing the environmental and public health impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is difficult owing to the extreme depth of the blowout and the large volumes of oil released. To study the effects of the spill, researchers collected deep-water samples from across the Gulf of Mexico and analyzed their physical, chemical, and microbiological properties using a variety of techniques. Read more...

The ALS communications group debuted a new ALS Web site on Monday, November 22. Take a look and send us your feedback! And please update your bookmarks.

Call for Publications, Awards, and Invited Talks for 2008-2010

We are busy gathering data for our triennial review by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Basic Energy Sciences, which will happen early in 2011. A crucial component of the review material is publications, invited talks, and awards information resulting from work done at the ALS.

If you have any published ALS-related work, awards, or invited talks, enter them into our Publications Database. The first part of the form requires an automatic database search to prevent duplicate entries. If the publication is already there and you see errors, contact the User Office. Please DO NOT resubmit any publications.

The User Office is accepting new General User Proposals from scientists who wish to conduct research at the ALS in the next cycle. Please visit our Web site for information on how to apply for beam time, or follow the relevant links below:

Proposals for general sciences beamlines are considered active for two years, or until the total shifts requested in the proposal have been used. If you are the PI or experimental leader of an active proposal for which you would like to request beam time during the July-December 2011 cycle, you will receive an email with instructions.

APPROVED PROGRAM DEADLINES:

Letter of Intent Due: December 1 Submit Proposal: January 15

An Approved Program (AP) enables an investigator or a group of investigators to receive an assured percentage of beam time for a period of up to three years to carry out an extended program of research. Users wishing to apply for an AP need to submit a letter of intent by December 1, 2010 to the ALS Deputy Division Director for Science. See our Web site for more information.

UEC Corner

2011 UEC Announced

I am pleased to announce the four new members elected to the Users' Executive Committee, who will serve a three-year term beginning January 1, 2011.

Your new representatives are:

Yves Idzerda, Department of Physics, Montana State University

Jeff Kortright, Material Science Division, LBNL

Corie Ralston, Physical Biosciences Division, LBNL

Gyorgy Snell, Takeda San Diego

The modification to the charter amendment (increasing the number of non-student UEC members elected each year to four) passed with a vote of 246 in favor, 27 against. I will remain UEC Chair for a second term.

On behalf of all users, let me thank the UEC members who terms have ended for their years of service: Yves Acremann, Ken Goldberg (past Chair), Phil Heimann, and Wayne Stolte.

All users are welcome to contact their UEC representatives to raise issues of concern relating to their own research, or to alert us to issues facing our whole community.

For the user runs from October 5 to October 22, 2010 (the beginning of the extended shutdown), the beam reliability [(time scheduled - time lost)/time scheduled)] was 95.9%. For this period, the mean time between failures (MTBF) was 48.1 hours, and the mean time to recovery (MTTR) was 131 minutes. On October 11, a 2-hour lab-wide power outage resulted in a wide range of problems which cost ALS nearly 12 hours of scheduled user beam time.

From September 28 through October 6, we set a new record for contiguous hours of light supplied to users -- the ALS ran 185 hours of light without an unscheduled interruption.

BCSB & Physical BiosciencesPaul Adams, Head of the Berkeley Center for Structural Biology and Deputy Division Director for the Physical Biosciences Division gives an overview of structural biology at the ALS. Read the Article

Announcements

Mechanical Engineer Craig Hopkins DiesCraig Hopkins, a mechanical engineering technician matrixed to the ALS, passed away Friday, November 19, as the result of a car accident. More information...

ALS Science CafésThe Science Café held November 12 was a smashing success. The capacity crowds listened to presentations from Christine Beavers (ALS), Stefano Marchesini (ALS), and Nils Huse (MSD). If you are interested in presenting at a Science Café in 2011, go to the ALS Science Café Web page.

Guest House SpecialVisiting Berkeley Lab? Book accommodations at the new Berkeley Lab Guest House located on site. The current special features discounted rates, no occupancy tax, and free parking; visit the Web site for more information.